'Corpse flower' finally opens to deliver rare stench

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Sunday, May 15, 2016
corpse flower
Check out the rare corpse flower blooming at Moody Gardens.

GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- The giant corpse flower, Morticia, finally opens and for the second time in less than five years it's blooming at Moody Gardens.

A corpse flower seen blooming in a time lapse video

The blooming period is just two to four days, so visitors have the rare opportunity to see and smell the Amorphophallus titanum, today.

"We certainly were expecting her to bloom yesterday, but Mother Nature is very unpredictable," said Donita Brannon, horticulture exhibit manager at Moody Gardens; who jokes about her late arrival. "I guess she decided to be the diva she is and arrive a little later than expected."

The common name 'corpse flower' comes from the unpleasant odor of rotting flesh which the plant emits during flowering.

Check out the LIVE corpse flower cam here at www.moodygardens.com